9b ON THE EXCESSIVE APPEARANCE OF INSECTS. 



9th I observed at Clapton a reddish cloud exterior to a 

 thunder-cloud, and this was composed of myriads of the 

 winged insects, which kept dropping here and there in 

 such profusion, that by waving the hat numbers might 

 soon have been caught. On examining the spiders' webs 

 many were to be found adhering in each web. From this 

 it is apparent that the excess of the vastator is analogous 

 to other excesses heretofore known. 



(390.) I am informed by Mr. Kennedy, that on the 14th 

 of September, in this year, a cloud of Aphides passed 

 over the Downs at Brighton, and such were their numbers 

 that he became literally covered with them, and was very 

 glad to turn his back to avoid their settling upon his face. 

 Mr. W. R. Smee states, that he was informed by the in- 

 habitants of Freshwater, Isle of Wight, that they had 

 observed this year vast clouds of insects, or flies, appear- 

 ing like a great mist, and they occupied five or six hours 

 in their passage. Mr. W. R. Smee also states that he 

 was informed by a farmer at Chichester that he saw insects 

 settle in large numbers upon his potatoes. It is impossible 

 to tell now what these troops of insects were, for neither 

 Mr. Kennedy nor my brother can state with certainty. 

 The former gentleman stated that they resembled a winged 

 Aphis vastator, which I showed him. 



(391.) The earliest account of an excessive increase of 

 particular insects is to be found in the 8th chapter of 

 Exodus, where it is recorded that the Egyptians were 

 plagued with an immense multiplication of lice. We find 

 also, in the same chapter, that the land was corrupted by 

 reason of the swarm of flies. In the book of Joel is con- 

 tained a beautiful and highly poetical description of the 

 effect of this excessive increase of insects : " For a nation 



